Social Justice in Psychological Assessment
Abstract
This presentation will focus on issues of integrating social justice values into the process of psychological assessment (Fernandes & Pade, 2024). The presentation will describe models of social justice broadly and social justice as specifically applied to the psychological assessment landscape. Concrete actions related to greater access to assessment services will be presented, as well as for reducing shame in the process (Fantini et al., 2022) and writing culturally responsive reports (Chapman-Hillard et al., 2018). In addition to presenting incremental steps toward improving social justice in individual practice, a transformative model for the landscape of psychological assessment will be presented, aligned with both a population health approach (American Psychological Association, 2022) and the Institute of Medicine’s prevention framework models (Springer & Phillips, 2007).
Presenters
Dr. Hadas Pade | Wright Institute
Dr. A. Jordan Wright | New York University
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of the Webinar, attendees will be able to:
- Identify three ways to build social justice practices into current psychological assessment practice.
- Describe the three tiers related to a social justice, population health, multitiered model of psychological assessment.
Continuing Education Statement
The Society for Personality Assessment (SPA) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. SPA maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Society for Personality Assessment is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0218.
1. American Psychological Association. (2022). Psychology’s role in advancing population health. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/population-health-statement.pdf
2. Chapman-Hillard, C., McClain, S., Sherry, A., Broyles, S., & Jackson, S. (2018). Writing for an N of 1: Cultural competence in personality assessment report writing. In S. Smith & R. Krishnamurthy (Eds.), Diversity-sensitive personality assessment (pp. 315–332). Routledge.
3. Fantini, F., Aschieri, F., David, R. M., Martin, H., & Finn, S. E. (2022). Therapeutic assessment with adults: Using psychological testing to help clients change. Routledge.
4. Fernandes, M. A., & Pade, H. (2024). Social justice in psychological assessment. In A. J. Wright (Ed.), Essentials of culture in psychological assessment (pp. 39-67). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
5. Springer, J. F., & Phillips, J. (2007). The Institute of Medicine Framework and its implication for the advancement of prevention policy, programs and practice. California, Community Prevention Initiative. Center for Applied Research Solutions.
Hadas Pade, PsyD received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology and her Master’s in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York. She holds a professional license in the state of California since 2005. Dr. Pade is the Director of Assessment Services at the Wright Institute Clinic in Berkeley and has been teaching and supervising psychological assessment for nearly 20 years. Dr. Pade is currently the Past President of the Assessment Psychology Section of APA’s Division 12 Clinical Psychology. She is also the current President of the Collaborative Assessment Association of the Bay Area (CAABA) a non-profit organization. She has written several book chapters and articles in the area of psychological assessment and regularly co-facilitates annual workshops and various presentations at the APA and SPA conventions on multiple topics in psychological assessment including training and diversity considerations. Dr. Pade also conducts public safety evaluations in the bay area.
A. Jordan Wright, PhD, ABAP, ABPP is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University, where he is the Director of the PhD program in Combined Clinical/Counseling Psychology and the Founding Director of NYU’s training clinic, the Center for Counseling and Community Wellbeing. He is a licensed psychologist in New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, and Massachusetts and is involved in direct clinical service, teaching/education, clinical supervision, and research.
Dr. Wright earned his PhD in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, as well as a Master’s in Psychology in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. He is board certified from the American Board of Professional Psychology (Clinical Psychology) and the American Board of Assessment Psychology. He is the President Elect of the Society of Clinical Psychology, serves on the Board of the Society for Personality Assessment, and will serve as President/Chair of the American Board of Assessment Psychology (ABAP) beginning in 2025. He has authored many peer-reviewed journal articles and multiple books in the field of psychological assessment.